Murts' fears for football

Graeme Murty fears for the future of football once the billionaires lose interest.

The world’s favourite game has experienced a massive change in the way it is financed over the past few years with a host of the top clubs being snapped up by mega rich businessmen and consortiums.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa are all owned by foreign billionaires, while Manchester City have just been taken over by an Arab consortium.

Murty warned: “It’s not a bottomless pit – there has to be repercussions sometime.

“I really hope the billionaires who are having such a good time at the moment don’t decide to take their toys away because if they do they will leave football in a perilous state, especially in this country. I think if you build a castle out of sand it will come down some time.

“As soon as that foundation goes away, ie the money, something bad is going to happen.”

The transfer window closed on Monday meaning Royals will not lose any more players until at least January.

But Murty believes having deadlines to buy or sell players serves no purpose.

He added: “I don’t agree with the transfer window.

“I think it’s a hindrance more than a help and geared to the media rather than helping football out.

“I think there are a lot of small clubs struggling because of it. It would be better if it just went away.

“If the window wasn’t there things could be done a lot more discreetly.

“If you have a centre-forward pulling up trees between now and November at a small club, like I was at York, you want to to be able to cash in on him if that’s the right route for the club.

“If you get injured in October and are out in January no-one is going to buy him, so it’s just a hindrance and something from UEFA or FIFA that is designed to pander to the media. It is a restraint of trade.”

However, the skipper admitted he was glued to the television to see the last minute deals being done.

“I was the same as anyone, I was watching Sky Sports but then a text came through from Reading saying no one was coming in or out and I thought brilliant,” said the skipper.

“But I just couldn’t turn it off with the Robinho and Berbatov transfer saga.